With everything that's gone on over the last few months there are a few things in live that have had to slip. One of those has been the time I've had to spend crafting. In many ways crafting (along with running) is my therapy. It keeps my head in the right place when the rest of life is manic and it's certainly been manic of late. Over the years I have written many times on this blog about losing, and then re-finding, my crafting mojo, but this time it's different. I've wanted to craft. Desperately so at times. But there just aren't enough hours in the day and the kids, keeping a roof over our ... read more

I've been trying to bring Ladybird Tuesday back several times now, but each time I appear to get half way through writing a post and then everything goes a bit wrong. This time though I've chosen a title that I do feel very passionate about in the hope that it keeps me on track somewhat - Learning to Crochet!
Now, anyone who follows me on Instagram or who has read my post about 2016 in Crochet will know that over the last couple of years I have become a complete crochet addict. I have two crochet blankets on the go at the moment (the Moorland CAL from Lucy at Attic24 and also my third Spice ... read more

Now normally reviews of the year come at the end of the year. It's the kind of blog post that people publish between Christmas and New Year as a sort of round up. That was my plan, but like all the best laid plans it didn't happen. Many reasons, but the biggest one being that by the time we got to that weird period between Christmas and New Year I was just absolutely shattered! I also sat down then with a notebook and realised that I actually did far more in 2016 than I'd realised, and just one blog post wasn't going to do the year justice. So, welcome to what is likely to be the first in a ... read more

I've been a tad rubbish this year writing about all things crafty. That's partly because I just haven't had much time to be crafty this year, but also because when I have had the time I've been actually crafting instead. Instagram has also become my go to place for tracking my progress with big projects, and that's exactly what I'm doing with the second Spice of Life blanket that I'm currently working on. I've just found that when you're working on something that takes weeks or months a series of blog posts as you go isn't always the most riveting read.
Crochet and a cuppa with good ... read more

Did I fall asleep or something? Where on earth did January go?
It seems like only two minutes since Christmas and New Year, but then at the same time they also feel like a lifetime ago.
So, what exactly have I been up to in January. Sitting here now it seems a bit hard to work out exactly what I've been up to for the whole month, but I'm sure I'll work it out.
The biggest thing has probably been that January has been the month in which I started running again. Here I am on the 29th of the month and I'm delighted to say that I've clocked up a whole 70km in January (so far!) and am ... read more

Do you know how satisfying it is to actually finish a project? I managed to go to my regular knitting group this morning and it was such a lovely feeling to proudly stand up and do my bit of show and tell with my Spice of Life blanket. This is probably one of the biggest projects that I've ever finished (yes the Attic 24 Ripple is still in progress - my latest aim is to get it done by Christmas!) and I'm really pleased with how it has turned out.
The finished result is gorgeous and whilst the first set of shells are a bit pulled in at the edges (I'll call that my learning curve - I went ... read more

Can you tell that the crochet is completely taking over my life at the moment? If you follow me on Instagram it's probably pretty obvious. It seems that every spare minute is spent with a hook in my hand these days and I'm loving it!
I'm onto the final stretch of the main body of the Spice of Life CAL now and I'm already starting to feel a bit sad about the fact that it will be all over soon. The pattern has you repeating the first half of the blanket in different colours for the second half, so there are no more new stitches to learn, but instead it's great practice of what you have ... read more

I'm still struggling a bit with this new rhythm that my week day life needs to fall into. It doesn't seem to be coming naturally at all, but I'm hopeful that a fit of being organised this Monday is starting to send things more in the right direction.
I'm squeezing in crafty moments whenever I can, but again more organisation is needed to maximise these better. There have been a couple of busy weeks here with one things and another socially so hopefully now things are getting quieter more evenings with a crochet hook or a needle and thread can take place - after all what else were chilly ... read more

It's been a while since I managed to pull together a my week in crafts post mainly because the school holidays have meant very little time to craft. I'm hoping that things are about to change though as Little Miss C is now back at school and Master C started pre-school last week. It means a totally different shape to each day, but one that I'm hoping to fill with plenty of crafty activities, both with and without the kids. Holiday crochet #crochet #rippleblanket #attic24A photo posted by Penny Carr (@realbeingmrsc) on Aug 28, 2015 at 2:32pm PDTThe main thing that has progressed this summer has ... read more

I do love writing these posts where I try and keep track of what crafting I've been doing as it can be so easy to forget. Even just week to week. Maybe it's a sign of getting old.
It goes without saying that the crochet ripple blanket is growing and growing, but in all this heat I have discovered that sitting down and doing it is getting harder and harder, especially during the daytime. What is completely impossible though is taking it with me to swimming lessons. Sat up high in the viewing gallery is hot enough anyway, but with a huge crochet blanket on your knee it's pretty ... read more